Primary locating feature

ABSTRACT

A solar collector assembly with at least one primary locator feature. The solar collector assembly has housing having at least one wall and at least one mirror for directing rays of light toward a secondary objective. Each mirror of the solar collector assembly has a back side and a reflective side and at least one primary locating feature for connecting the mirror to the housing. The primary locating feature has a guide bushing that is operably connected to the at least one wall of the housing. A stud of the primary locating feature has a first end connected to a mirror bracket and second end extending through the guide bushing. The stud has a longitudinal axis that extends between the mirror bracket and the guide bushing for allowing the mirror to be positioned along the longitudinal axis relative to the at least one wall of the housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mechanical fastener or primary locating feature used for providing proper location and adjustment of a mirror used in a solar collector device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different types of solar collectors use mirrors, or a primary objective element, for directing light to a focal point, or a secondary objective element, such that the light can be converted to electricity. Optimal positioning of these mirrors is necessary for the solar collector to function properly. In many applications, proper positioning of these mirrors is a difficult and expensive task.

A lack of position control of the mirrors causes or allows for a loss in system efficiency. A reduction in efficiency may be the result of too much dimensional variation between the various components in a solar array assembly.

Some solar collectors use a mechanical fastener for attachment and positioning of the primary mirrors, which allows for some adjustment. However, this is an expensive attachment, is not accessible in a sealed solar module, and takes time and skill to adjust properly.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved mechanical fastener or locating feature used with a mirror in a solar array assembly, which properly positions the mirror in an efficient and inexpensive manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a solar collector assembly with at least one primary locator feature. The solar collector assembly has housing having at least one wall and at least one mirror for directing rays of light toward a second objective. Each mirror of the solar collector assembly has a back side and a reflective side and at least one primary locating feature for connecting the mirror to the housing. The primary locating feature has a guide bushing that is operably connected to the at least one wall of the housing. A stud of the primary locating feature has a first end connected to a mirror bracket and second end extending through the guide bushing. The stud has a longitudinal axis that extends between and substantially perpendicular to the mirror bracket and the guide bushing for allowing the mirror to be positioned along the longitudinal axis relative to the at least one wall of the housing. The solar collector assembly may have a single mirror, however it is possible for a solar collector assembly to have multiple mirrors with each mirror having their own respective primary locating feature that serves to connect the mirror with a guide bushing within the housing.

The present invention is also directed to a fastener or primary locating feature which places and locates a primary objective element or mirror in an optimal location relative to a secondary objective element, and a quick set adhesive locks the fastener location while the main adhesive has time to cure. The design allows for an adjustable attachment, or it could be locked down to a net locating pad that could be machined to an ideal location relative to other key locations.

The present invention further includes a ceramic, plastic, or metal type pad bonded to the back of a mirror that bonds directly to a Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) panel or attach to an SMC panel with a mechanical fastener. The mechanical fastener may be net or set by fixture, or it can be adjustable and serviceable. The mounting pads may be net or can be milled or machined to precise tolerances.

The mechanical fastener or primary locating feature of the present invention sets and holds the position of one panel relative to the other with a quick set adhesive and a long term adhesive. The primary locating feature of the present invention has the ability to set at a controlled nominal position, or to allow for final field type adjustment and service. The primary locating feature of the present invention also has the ability to utilize an as-molded datum pad, or the pad may be machined to a higher precision nominal position. The addition of bonding combined with the mechanical fasteners also helps to allow for variation without influencing twist or deflection into a critical component such as the primary objective mirror.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a solar collector assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side plan view of a solar collector assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side perspective view of a solar collector assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional side perspective view of a solar collector assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a sectional side view of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a seal cap for a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 5C is a sectional side view of a threaded cap and collar used in an alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature, having a ball mounted on an adjustable stud, used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature, with the ball and stud removed, used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 7C is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a hexalobular external driving feature on a stud used with a primary locating feature, according to the present invention;

FIG. 7D is a sectional side view of an alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature, having a ball mounted on a mirror, used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional side view of another alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional side view of a stud and a jam nut of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional side view of a secondary objective element used with a primary objective element having a primary locating feature, according to the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional side view of another alternate embodiment of a primary locating feature used with a primary objective element, according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

The present application uses the term “guide bushing”, which can include, but is not limited to, various specific elements including a rivet nut, drilled aperture or a sealed rivet nut. The term “rivet nut” is defined to include a one piece internally threaded and counterbored tubular rivet that can be anchored entirely from one side or both sides depending on a particular application. A “sealed rivet nut” is defined as including a rivet nut that has a sealing member disposed around the aperture for the counterbore allowing for a stud placed through the counterbore to be sealed off from the surrounding environment. A “drilled aperture” is defined as including a hole drilled through a surface that may or may not be threaded.

The present application also uses the term “fastener”, which can include, but is certainly not limited to a jack screw, adhesives, jam nut, ratchet type stud nut and combinations thereof. “Adhesives” as described herein include any type of polymeric adhesive. The term “jack screw” includes a type of self-locking fastener system that includes a scissor type frame operated by turning a lead screw or some other type of gear or worm drive train. The term “jam nut” is generally a type of nut that is jammed in a locking manner to a stud or shaft. The term “ratchet type stud nut” includes a nut that connects to a threaded shaft or stud and moves in one direction while preventing motion in the other direction. The term “fastener” may include various combinations of the fasteners described above as well as other suitable fasteners depending on the needs of a particular application.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a solar collector assembly 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Solar collector assemblies have various shapes and forms; however; generally speaking, solar collector assemblies use a reflective surface or a mirror 102 that direct rays 103 toward a secondary objective (not shown) collecting energy. The solar collector assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1 has a housing 108 that holds the mirror 102 and secondary objective in order to prevent the components within the housing 108 from being exposed to the outside elements. The solar collector assembly 100 can have a single mirror 102 it is can have several mirrors each connected to a designated primary locating feature 110. The number of mirrors 102 will depend on the needs of a particular application.

Other solar collector assemblies can have a different type of shape with no sealed housing. For example, other solar collector assemblies might be shaped to look like a satellite dish wherein the dish portion of the satellite-shaped dish is mirrored to direct the sun's rays towards a secondary objective located in the center of the dish.

In designing a the solar collector assembly 100, it may be necessary to control the position of the mirror 102 relative to the secondary objective in order to maximize reflection of the rays 103. Each mirror 102 in the present invention is connected to the housing 108 using the primary locating feature 110 that connects the respective mirror 102 to the housing 108. The primary locating feature 110 allows for the mirror 102 to be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the housing 108. Movement and positioning of the mirror 102 will depend on several factors, which include the position of the housing 108 relative to a mounting surface 112 upon which the solar collector assembly sits or is pivotably connected to. Additionally, the direction from which the rays 103 enter the housing 108 may also affect the position of the mirrors 102. Additional factors causing the rays 103 that affect the direction the rays enter the housing 108 include time of day, longitude or latitude as well as the position of the Earth's axis relative to the sun (e.g., the season and the region that the solar collector assembly is located).

The housing 108 includes several mirror walls 114 which each have one or more primary locating features 110 that permit a mirror to be connected to the housing 108. Each of the wall of the housing 108 are curved to permit the X, Y and Z movement of the mirror when connected. Associated with each of the primary locating features 110 is an actuator 116 that is connected to the components of the primary locating feature and will cause the mirror to move when actuated. The details of the mirror movement will be described in greater detail below.

A primary locating feature according to the present invention is shown in the FIGS. 5-10 generally at 10. Referring to FIG. 5A, a first embodiment of the locating feature 10 includes a guide bushing 21, which in the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 5A is a threaded rivet nut mounted to a wall 14 of a housing (not shown). While the present invention shows the guide bushing 12 as being a rivet nut, it is within the scope of this invention for the guide bushing to be any type of supportive aperture, and can include a rivet nut as shown in FIG. 5A; threaded cap and collar as shown in FIG. 5C; ratchet-type nut and stud as shown in FIG. 6; stud and sealed jam nut 22 as shown in FIG. 7A, a ratchet-type nut and stud in combination with a UV activated adhesive as shown in FIG. 8; a jam nut that ratchets the stud in a single direction as shown in FIG. 9; or an adjustable fastener mounted to a support member as shown in FIG. 11. The wall 14 in this embodiment is made of a SMC (Sheet Molding Compound), but it is within the scope of the invention that the wall 14 may be made of another thermoplastic injected material.

The rivet nut 12 is threaded to receive a stud 16 having a ball 18 and a hexalobular external driving feature 20. The hexalobular external driving feature 20 is connectable to the actuator 116 shown in FIG. 3. The actuator 116 is a motor that causes the hexalobular external driving feature 20 to rotate, which in turn rotates the stud 16 causing the stud to move along its longitudinal axis 45, which in turn causes a mirror 36 to move axially relative to the wall 14 of the housing 108. Mounted on the stud 16 is a sealed jam nut 22 which secures the stud 16 to the rivet nut 12. Also connected to the wall 14 is an outer rubber seal cap 24.

The ball 18 is disposed in a socket 26 formed as part of a bracket 28, which is connected to a ceramic pad 30 of a mirror bracket shown generally at 29, which is connected to the back side of the mirror 36. The ceramic pad 30 is used with an adhesive 32 for attachment with the rear surface 34 of a mirror 36. The ball 18 and socket 26 allow for repositioning of the mirror 36 as desired, and the stud 16 in combination with the rivet nut 12 and sealed jam nut 22 allow for the mirror 36 to be moved axially, which is shown as left to right by direction arrow 45 or vice versa when looking at FIG. 5A. The mirror moves along the longitudinal axis 37 of the stud 16. The axial movement of the mirror 36 is accomplished by activating the actuator 116, which is connected to the external drive 20, which in turn causes the stud 16 to rotate through the threaded jam nut 22.

Referring to FIG. 5B, an alternate embodiment of the secondary outer rubber seal cap 24 is shown, which is designed to permanently connect to the wall 14, and is removed only when needed. The permanent connection between the rubber seal cap 24 and the wall 14 can be accomplished using adhesives, resistive implant welding, cementing, or other permanent connection methods. FIG. 5C shows a threaded cap 38 on a collar 40, which replaces the sealed jam nut 22 and rivet nut 12, as shown in FIG. 5A.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6, with like numbers referring to like elements. In this embodiment, the primary locating feature 10 has a bracket or molded carrier 42 which supports the ceramic pad 30. The carrier 42 is connected to the wall 14 through the use of a ratchet-type nut 44 and stud 46. The nut 44 and stud 46 are used for moving the mirror 36 axially, which is shown as right to left by direction arrow 45 and vice versa when looking at FIG. 6.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, with like numbers referring to like elements. In this embodiment the ball 18 is mounted on an adjustable stud 16, where the stud 16 is threaded and connected to the sealed jam nut 22. The stud 16 and sealed jam nut 22 are used for allowing the mirror 36 to move axially, which is shown as left to right by direction arrow 45 and vice versa when looking at FIG. 7A. FIG. 7B shows another alternate embodiment of the invention, where the ball 18 and socket 26 have been removed, and the stud 16 is connected directly to the bracket 28. The stud 16 may have either a hexalobular internal driving feature 46, or a hexalobular external driving feature 20, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7C. Yet another alternate embodiment of the primary locating feature 10 in FIG. 7B is shown in FIG. 7D, where the ball 18 is connected to the bracket and the socket 26 is formed on the first end of the stud 16.

Another embodiment of the primary locating feature 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the ceramic pad 30 is connected to a urethane pad 48 which is about one to two inches thick. This embodiment may include a ratchet-type nut 44, similar to the ratchet-type nut 44 shown in FIG. 6. To secure the stud 16 to the nut 44, once the mirror 36 is in the desired position, UV-activated adhesive may be used to secure the position of the stud 16 relative to the nut 44, quickly, while the adhesive 32 attaching the mirror 36 to the ceramic pad 30 cures.

Referring to FIG. 9A, another embodiment of the feature 10 is shown having a different type of jam nut, generally shown at 50, which ratchets in only one direction to secure the connection between the stud 16 and the jam nut 50.

FIG. 9B shows a secondary objective element 104 that collects reflected light from the mirrors and converts the light to stored energy. A lens 52 of the secondary objective element 104 is mounted to a second wall 54 of the housing. More specifically, the lens 52 is mounted to a carrier 56, and the carrier 56 is connected to the wall 54. The lens 52 is used for receiving light directed from the mirror 36 shown in the Figures. It is within the scope of the invention that a plurality of the mirrors 36 may be used with a plurality of primary alignment features 10 such that the mirrors 36 may be optimally positioned to direct as much light as possible to the lens 52.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 11, where the stud 16 is used with an adjustable fastener 58, where the stud 16 and fastener 58 are mounted to a support member 60. The fastener 58 is used to reposition the stud 16, and therefore the mirror 36, relative to the support member 60 and the wall 14. The fastener 58 as shown in FIG. 1 is a jack screw used for locking the stud 16 in place between the mirror bracket 28 and support member 60.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the essence of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A solar collector assembly with at least one primary locating feature comprising: a housing having at least one wall; a mirror having a back side and a reflective side; a mirror bracket connected to the back side of the mirror; and at least one primary locating feature having a guide bushing operably connected to said at least one wall of said housing, a stud having a first end connected to said mirror bracket and a second end extending through said guide bushing, wherein said stud has a longitudinal axis extending between and substantially perpendicular to said mirror bracket and said guide bushing allowing said mirror to be positioned along said longitudinal axis relative to said at least one wall of said housing.
 2. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fastener connectable along said longitudinal axis of said stud for locking said stud at a selected position along said longitudinal axis.
 3. The solar collector assembly of claim 2 wherein said fastener further comprises one selected from the group comprising: jack screw adhesives, jam nut, rachet type stud nut and combinations thereof.
 4. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 wherein said guide bushing is one selected from the group comprising rivet nut, drilled aperture, and a sealed rivet-nut.
 5. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 further comprising an actuator connectable to said second end of said stud for moving said stud along said longitudinal axis.
 6. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a ball formed on said first end of said stud and a socket formed on said mirror bracket for receiving said ball.
 7. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 further comprising a socket formed on said first end of said stud and a ball formed on said mirror bracket for receiving said socket.
 8. The solar collector assembly of claim 1 wherein said guide bushing is disposed through a support member connected to said at least one wall of said housing.
 9. A solar collector assembly with at least one primary locating feature comprising: a housing having at least one wall; a mirror having a back side and a reflective side; a mirror bracket connected to said back side of the mirror; at least one primary locating feature having a guide bushing operably connected to said at least one wall of said housing, a stud having a first end connected to said mirror bracket and a second end extending through said guide bushing, wherein said stud has a longitudinal axis extending between and substantially perpendicular to said mirror bracket and said guide bushing allowing said mirror to be positioned along said longitudinal axis relative to said at least one wall of said housing; a secondary objective mounted to said housing, said secondary objective having a lens facing said reflective side of said mirror, wherein said reflective side of said mirror is positioned to focus reflective light toward said secondary objective and said secondary objective receives said reflected light and converts the light into stored energy.
 10. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 further comprising a fastener connectable along said longitudinal axis of said stud for locking said stud at a selected position along said longitudinal axis.
 11. The solar collector assembly of claim 10 wherein said fastener further comprises one selected from the group comprising: jack screw adhesives, jam nut, rachet type stud nut and combinations thereof.
 12. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 wherein said guide bushing is one selected from the group comprising rivet nut, drilled aperture, and a sealed rivet-nut.
 13. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 further comprising an actuator connectable to said second end of said stud for moving said stud along said longitudinal axis.
 14. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 further comprising a ball formed on said first end of said stud and a socket formed on said mirror bracket for receiving said ball.
 15. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 further comprising a socket formed on said first end of said stud and a ball formed on said mirror bracket for receiving said socket.
 16. The solar collector assembly of claim 9 wherein said guide bushing is disposed through a support member connected to said at least one wall of said housing. 